Lobster stretchers … a cool salad or a hot broth - recipes

Sunset, Feb, 1991

The sweet, rich taste of lobster brings a note of luxury to a meal. Unfortunately, lobster also commands a premium price. For more affordable dining, buy tails. They have less waste than the whole shellfish. Cut meat into thin slices and combine with other ingredients to stretch the number of servings. Sliced fresh fruit brightens the first recipe we offer here; in the second, slices of lobster float flowerlike in broth to give the soup its name. The tails, usually sold frozen, come from Australia, New Zealand, Southern California, Hawaii, and Florida. A 6- to 8ounce tail can cost $10 to $12.

Lobster Salad with Ginger Dressing
  1/2 pound edible-pod peas, strings
        removed
 2 lobster tails (6 to 8 oz. each),
       thawed if frozen
 3 quarts (about 9 oz.) rinsed, crisped,
       bite-size pieces butter lettuce
 2 large (about 5 oz. each) firm-ripe
       kiwi fruit, peeled and thinly sliced
 4 preserved kumquats, thinly sliced
    Ginger dressing (recipe follows)

In a 5- to 6-quart pan, bring about 3 quarts water to a boil. Add pea pods and cook just until tender-crisp to bite, about 2 minutes. Lift out with a slotted spoon and immerse in ice water. Return water in pan to a boil. Add lobster tails. Simmer, covered, until meat is opaque when cut in center, 7 to 9 minutes. Drain lobster and immerse in the ice water to cool. Drain peas and lobster. With kitchen scissors, clip fins from edges of each tail's undershell. Then, cut along undershell (see photograph, bottom left); peel back undershell and discard. Working from body end, carefully remove meat from shell in 1 piece. Thinly slice meat crosswise. If made ahead, cover and chill pea pods and lobster up until the next day. On 4 dinner plates, arrange equal portions of lettuce, kiwi fruit, kumquats, lobster, and pea pods. Spoon ginger dressing equally over each serving. Serves 4. Per serving: 199 caL; 13 g protein; 0.9 g fat; 37 g carbo.; 220 mg sodium; 34 mg chol. Ginger dressing. Mix 1 teaspoon finely shredded orange peel, 3/4 cup orange juice, 2 tablespoons sherry or red wine vinegar, and 2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger. If made ahead, cover and chill up until the next day.

Lobster Flower Soup
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
1/2 cup minced shallots
1 cup dry white wine
1 quart regular-strength chicken
     broth
1/2 teaspoon dry tarragon leaves
3 thin strips (about 1/2 by 3 in.) lemon
     peel, yellow part only
2 lobster tails (6 to 8 oz. each),
     thawed if frozen
1/2 pound spinach, ends and tough
     stems trimmed, rinsed and
     drained
4 thin lemon slices

In a 5- to 6-quart pan, combine butter and shallots over medium heat. Stir often until shallots are limp, about 5 minutes. Add wine, broth, tarragon, and lemon eel. Cover and simmer 30 minutes. With kitchen scissors, clip fins from edges of each tail's undershell. Cut along undershell (see photograph, left); peel back undershell and discard. Working from body end, carefully remove meat from shell in 1 piece. Thinly slice meat crosswise. When broth is ready, discard lemon peel. Stir in spinach and lobster; simmer, uncovered, until lobster is opaque, about 1 1/2 minutes. Ladle into bowls. Float lemon slices on soup. Serves 4 or 5. Per serving: 105 cal.; 11 g protein; 3.9 g fat; 7 g carbo.; 239 mg sodium; 33 mg chol.